The train went as a power move westbound around 10:30 PM last Friday by Dolphin Mall and reemerged with 60 loaded hoppers before 1 AM by the same area. I caught it at Galloway as seen below:
I am happy to be seeing this customer kind of back on track, no pun intended. The recent boom of these trains plus a steady flow of unit runners K978 and K977 are keeping this industry active. As I write, another inflow of Florida Rock hoppers is expected by tomorrow morning at latest.
The catch I made last Friday brought back chasing memories from between 2009 and 2011, when I focused on videotaping these trains. Before that, the line was much more active though, getting rock trains almost daily and locals fairly often.
As far as the K918 goes, it is not known if there will be another order for rock for Winter Haven. I frankly thought it would only last one train ful but there were three more since, whereas the first train was loaded late February. K978 and K977 still bring hope for more runs and hopefully one day we will see the return of K974 and K973, the last of which ran June 2011.
